Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

OkCupid recently started a blog where they took all the data it’s collected as an online dating site and analyzed it. I was particularly interested in their most recent post on race. They took a look at whether a person’s race played a factor in getting a message back from someone they wrote to.

Their conclusion: yes it does- by a lot.

Here’s a graph from that post that shows reply rates between different races:

As you can see being an Asian male isn’t as great as being an White male.

Another chart from the post shows results of a poll question on the site:

As you can see White people, and White women, mostly prefer to date within their race.

A very interesting post, one that makes me very disappointed.

I’ve occasionally joked about my preference for White women over Asian women, much to the surprise of some less-than-open-minded friends, and I’ve hinted at it on this blog. I don’t think my taste is earth shattering, in fact it’s apparently something Asian guys like. My reasoning for this was explained quite clearly in their post:

On the contrary, white girls are many times the secret fantasy of any Twinkie. No, this is not a partially-hydrogenated pastry, but the Asian guy who has a bunch of white friends and does the things white guys do. There’s one problem: He’s stuck in an Asian body. Twinkies can be compared to a single kitten growing up in the midst of puppies. Twinkies feel like they are puppies because they are enculturated and they like what other puppies like, including the female dogs. Due to this immersion, Asians end up adopting white beauty standards. (but the same isn’t reciprocated by white girls.)

They are YouTube videos about it and apparently how-to manuals for it. But that doesn’t change the way I feel about this.

Honestly I think it sucks.

I will be the first to admit that I am a full fledged Twinkie. I do feel like that kitten that grew up in a world full of puppies. I like what White guys like: White girls.

What sucks is that White girls don’t like Asian guys.

I know I’m a smart, funny, outgoing, and caring individual; its just that sometimes I feel that I am trapped in this body, this shell that I actually like (I don’t think I’m that bad looking) but it’s a shell that’s not on the top of the list of the women I go after.

Sometimes I joke that I want to be white.

What I don’t tell you is that I want to be white so white girls would actually like me.

In today’s world we are changing the way we think about race in the workplace and life- but I can’t help but think there’s still a lot of hardwired racism I have to fight when it comes to physical attraction. I could have the best personality in the world but I doubt that’s going to make that brunette across the way like me any more if she’s into white guys.

Because I’m not a white guy, but sometimes I want to be.

If you have something to say about this post, feel free to leave me a comment or send me a tweet.  Also, if you’re not subscribed you can read this and all my other thoughts and rants, just subscribe via RSS or E-mail.

Tags: blog, favorites, feelings/reflections, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It’s a vicious cycle

Last week I talked about the DMB concert I missed out on, and while it’s been the only time I wasn’t able to make a sure I bought tickets for- trying to find last minute concert partners has always been a problem for me.

I never thought DMB was widely popular; despite being the 9th highest tour in 2006 in gross revenue I always had trouble finding other friends to go to a show with me. Every time tour dates were released I’d go see which shows I wanted to go to and buy a pair of tickets for said show. Without a go-to person, I’d usually ask around and I’d usually get excuses that DMB wasn’t really their thing or that tickets would be too expensive. Trying to find a concert partner usually ended up being a problem up until the week of the show. I rarely have been to a concert that didn’t include weeks of worrying of who my extra ticket will go to.

Now I’ve been lucky to have a few go-to buddies in the past, growing up in Chelmsford Jimmy was always down with a DMB show and more recently I was happy to find out that my friend LJ was a big DMB fan. I also have to acknowledge that thanks to my friends at Am I Dreaming, I’ve had a great network of friends I’d meet up with at shows.

The problem still remains of who be my extra ticket.

And so I go through the same motions tour after tour, excited to see one of my favorite live acts, somewhat disappointed that I didn’t have anyone to really share it with.

I know that despite my schedule and excuses I made last Thursday, if I had someone that was just as excited to see DMB that I was- I would of done anything to get to that concert.

DMB is my lonely passion, lonely in that I have nobody to share it with.

And it’s moments like last week that make me realize how much I hate not having someone to share something I love with.

Don’t you have something you’d love to share with someone? Maybe it’s a hobby or a YouTube clip, doesn’t it suck a little bit when you don’t have someone to share your interests with? Sure your interests are your interests- but doesn’t your love for something grow when you are able to spread it?

Tags: blog, dmb, friends, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I recently got an e-mail from Ok Cupid which attached a “flowchart to my heart” based on the thousands of personality questions I’ve answered through the years.

I had a good laugh when I saw it. Diagnosis: I’m complicated.

Tags: blog, girls

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

“The Orioles is our elixir…the Orioles is like going to Jamba Juice and getting that cold-buster drink- just chug it down, 16oz of the Orioles.”

Those the words of the the great Bill Simmons on his B.S. Report podcast when talking about the Red Sox playing the Orioles. The Sox just blew through Baltimore and completed a weekend sweep of the birds. Sean, Amanda, and Bill came down to B’more to see the series and I drove up to hang out with them and see the game this past Saturday.

It was pretty tough getting up Saturday however, a Friday night at a douchebag hangout bar called McFadden’s will do that do ya. I’m not that much of a fan of the place however my blogger pal Martin had the hook-up with cheap drinks so I was going to just stop by for a drink.

Ya nobody ever stops by for just a drink.

Fast forward to 2 AM and many bad decisions later, I’m walking home a sweaty mess. Well I wasn’t as bad as other people that night.

Ok so anyways, the game.

After a lazy morning I finally made it up to B’more to meet up with my friends at Pickles, the only place to go when it comes to pre-gaming before Oriole games. If you haven’t been, it’s a bar across the street from Camden Yards and before games sell beer and food outside the bar in a block party-like setting. People are playing corn hole and just having a good time. It’s the kind of scene Nationals Park needs- but will probably not get anytime soon.

The game itself was great, Josh Beckett shined for both the Sox and my Fantasy Baseball team. Victor Martinez made his Red Sox debut after the team acquired him from Cleveland and he got an ovation despite being away from home. That’s Red Sox Nation. I was ragged on a little for scoring the game, but I wanted to make sure I had some talking points the next time I talk baseball on 4 Sport Boston.

After the game we headed out to Power Plant Live, but it was a rather chill night considering my escapades on Friday. First time I was able to make it out of Baltimore alive.

The week was capped off with a great BBQ dinner with Sara, Ryan, and Dave- I don’t think I’ve ever felt so full in my life.

Well probably after this staff lunch I will.

And I wonder why I’m never in shape.

Tags: baltimore, blog, capitol hill, debauchery, foggy bottom, fun times with friends, girls, orioles, red sox

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Photo by SpaceCowGirl

“I had an amazing time in DC and really sad to be leaving. It was a cutesy and romantical weekend. We are planning to see each other in June and hopefully he’ll be able to plan a trip to NC. I think things may be different between us if we lived a little bit closer together, it’s a little bit fun to think about..but who knows. He is such a great guy and I really like him a lot.”

She’s right- we are nice to think about, I really like her a lot and I want to see her again. However we are still back at square one: she’s in Massachusetts and I’m here. She’ll soon be in North Carolina and I’ll still be here. She’s committed to living in NC for a year but she’s open to anything after that. As my friend Katie says, the timing is all wrong.

We never saw each other again in June. I am not planning a trip to North Carolina.

That was the end of a post, a post I never published. I wrote this after a weekend in April and I was wary on airing out my thoughts on someone I was currently interested in. That’s backfired on me before.

After some consultation I decided to scrap the post. This week I dug up, “the lost post” as I try to put some closure on yet another female love interest.

I was driving my friend Diana home this past weekend and she told me a story of two friends in Canada. They’ve been in a long standing relationship but the couple decided to split. Diana expressed to me her displeasure in the fact they are now dating other people.

“He was supposed to wait for her,” Diana said as we drove through Alexandria, “they are supposed to get back together!”

It wasn’t the happily ever after story that she (and the world) envisioned.

I want to say, “I want you to wait for me.” But wait til when? For what?

What we shared wasn’t a relationship spanning years; what we shared was a weekend here and a weekend there. However the dream of a happily ever after still existed for me as it probably did for Diana’s friend.

That girl didn’t wait for me and I don’t blame her.

We were nothing but a pipe dream, something to keep me going, a hope that maybe I found somebody that made me happy. She did make me happy, but only in small moments, far and few between. Looking back I know something was there, she’ll never know how she lingered in my head, even when I met somebody else.

For those weekends I had a chance to know what it was like. What it was like to wake up next to someone and smile; what it was like to have a lady to dote on; to have somebody to hold hands with down the street.

Like a dream, I suppose I always viewed her in the best possible light. Like a dream she represents much more than is actually there. Like a dream she gave me hope when the chips were down.

I cannot blame her for the choices she’s made and the direction she’s gone. It would be too narrow-minded to think like that.

She was a dream, a crush, a lovely vision that existed mostly in my head.

It’s time to wake up.

Tags: blog, feelings/reflections, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Stephanie had some wise words for the group as we sat around a bonfire on the beach last night:

“Relationships are like food, you can have two things, like peanut butter and chocolate, by themselves they are awesome but when you put them together they are even more awesome. You could also have two amazing things like chocolate and ketchup, and if you put them together it’s gross.”

To that analogy I said, “Well I must be ketchup then,” to which she replied, “Then Patrick, you need to find mustard.”

Tonight is the our last night on the beach and it’s a rather sad around the house, however we are ready to end the week with a bang. After a dinner at The Gingerbread House, we are getting ready for 7 v7 survivor flip cup.

It’s going to be sad returning back to the real world.

Tags: blog, debauchery, favorites, fun times with friends, girls, obx

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

“I’m gonna say something out loud that I’ve been doing a pretty good job of not saying out loud lately. What you and Tony have– what i thought for a second you and I had… …what i know that Marshall and Lily have… i want that. I do. I keep waiting for it to happen and waiting for it to happen, and… I guess I”m just, um… I’m tired of waiting. and that is all i’m going to say on that subject.” – Ted Mosby

Oh Ted, never have truer words have been spoken.

Because I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Tags: blog, favorites, feelings/reflections, girls, how i met your mother

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It was 11 AM Saturday morning but I wanted to stay in bed.

Friday night was an intense progression with Nicole from U-Street to Adams Morgan:

• Started at Local 16, encountered a line of douchebags waiting for the roof bar, stay downstairs and people watched
• Moved on to Dan’s Cafe where I introduced Nicole to the shadiest yet best deal in town
• Went next door to Town Tavern, a new bar on 18th street. It wasn’t too bad: not too full, plenty of seating, and dancers on the 2nd floor- what more could you ask for?
• You know it’s a wild night if we end up at Grand Central to do more dancing than drinking.

Didn’t make it to the other end of the street; missed the 3 AM fight that broke out; and didn’t even get a Jumbo Slice; but we had a great night all around. However a good night doesn’t always translate into a good morning, I needed a couple more hours of sleep than usual. After a late start to the day Nicole and I packed our things and made our way out to Charlottesville to see Dave Matthews Band!

The drive wasn’t too bad. I was a bit nervous however when the GPS told me to drive down Lee Highway for 80+ miles. At least it kept me awake and we got to see rural Virginia at it’s best.

After checking in at what was apparently the party motel for the concert, we hopped back in my car so I could take Nicole out to her favorite place: Sonic! It was my first time at a Sonic so I was really excited to have food delivered to my car and us eating it inside the Corolla. I’ll have to stop by the one in Fredericksburg on my way down to the OBX next month.

On the way back from Sonic I decided to stop at some, “Scenic Viewpoints.” It looked scenic enough.

Since I’ve been to John Paul Jones Arena before, I knew the perfect place to chill before the show. We drove to the top of the garage next to campus and we watched the sunset before walking in.

For more on the show here’s my review which I compiled thanks to the Tweets I left during the show:

You know what I hate? A concert that is dominated with new material. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy listening to new stuff but when the show precedes a new album release, I don’t have the chance to get familiar with new songs that might be played on tour. What I was really happy with was the album balance as DMB finishes a two night stand in their hometown of Charlottesville.

From the first notes of Bartender I knew I was going to be in for a full bodied Dave Matthews Band experience. The first show I’ve attended since the late death of LeRoi Moore, I was curious to see how Bela Fleck & The Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin would perform. I was glad to see that Coffin was able to honor LeRoi with a talented performance that included performances on the flute and even pulled off jam solo that included LeRoi’s trademark “If I Only Had a Brain” interpolation.

It wasn’t until a few seconds into Granny that the matrix of video screens came alive providing some camera angles but mostly stock footage and music video clips. It was at a close-up of Stefan that I noticed that he was wearing glasses- I didn’t know he needed them.

After teasing Old Dirt Hill the band went into their first Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King song, Why I Am. I particularly liked how the Old Dirt Hill tease meshed well with Why I Am, a rockabilly song with a strong beat. Following a Dave Matthews scat, Dancing Nancies gave violinist Boyd Tinsley to show off his skills with a series of crisp and vibrant solos. A performance of Don’t Drink the Water gave TR3 front man Tim Reynolds a chance to provide the supporting guitar riffs that brought the song back to its album recorded glory.

After a plug for his new album, Dave then goes into Funny The Way It Is, the first single of the new album. Dave and Co. then introduced John D’Earth and followed with Recently which gave Coffin and Matthews a chance take the song back with a Pretty Pretty Girl jam solo.

The crowd goes wild with Crush and the band then introduces Danny Barnes who contributed on the banjo for a performance of Spaceman. The band then finished off with tour debuts of Jimi Thing, So Much To Say, Anyone Seen The Bridge, and Too Much. A 16 minute Two Step finishes the set.

The band kicked off the encore to chants calling for Last Stop, after a tease of the song Dave acts confused, “Fast Job? Ass Pop?” He then finishes the night with #27 and Stay (Wasting Time.)

For what could have been a night dominated with unfamiliar material turned out to be a 2 and a half hour cavalcade of classic DMB. The crowd was left satisfied as the band ended their stint at the John Paul Jones Arena.

After the show I met up with Raylene, a fellow davehead from the good ol’ days when I worked over at Am I Dreaming.

The show was pretty good but it was the whole weekend experience that really made my 33rd show.

Tags: adams morgan, am i dreaming, blog, charlottesville, debauchery, dmb, girls, obx, travel, u-street

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Well it appears that everyone is writing about their first kisses. I’d like to talk about something else before we get into that.

I’d like to talk about the moment before the first kiss. Now sometimes that moment is short lived, sometimes it’s milked- but I think everybody has had a kiss that’s started with that moment.

What moment? It maybe at the end of a date, cuddling on the couch, sitting together in a parked car. Your heart starts to beat a bit faster in turn your speech speeds up a bit and eventually follows the path of your brain and turns into mush. If you had any game or sense of suave-ness you have probably lost it at that point. As a result you may start rambling or start grasping at straws to continuing what little banter is going on. You want to prolong the moment before you hit that silence, that awkward silence.

Your eyes meets hers and you notice a subtle change in her expression- little do you know that you have changed yours as well. All of a sudden you start your voice trails off and talk a bit softer- you may even start whispering for some weird reason. You both have that look and telepathically you both know you are about to make out. Now if you were like in me in current younger years you may have not have had the courage confidence to go in for that kiss, so you fumble around some more and if you are lucky you reach that point again and you go for it- or she gets tired of waiting and makes the move herself.

Now there are plenty of situations where that doesn’t happen- say you are 10 drinks deep in a bar, you have drowned those reactions away and you are ready to lock lips with anyone that agrees. I’m not saying it always happens but it happens sometimes.

Unlike my friend Candace- who could draw up a list of over 100 people she’s made out with, my list isn’t as long but at least they are memorable… well most of them.

• My first kiss was in a parked car by Crystal Lake. I was with a good friend I went to high school with but was now in college (score!) and we were talking about first kisses and I let it slipped out that I’ve yet to have one. She fixed that one up pretty quickly. I giggled right before we locked lips. Afterwards we went bowling.
• During new student orientation sophomore year: She was a freshmen and I was an Orientation Leader that was too cool for school. We were hanging out in her dorm and we had that moment… for way too long. We literally stared into each others eyes as we fumbled about with small talk. At one point I just said WTF and went in. I literally said, “oh what the fuck.”
• I’m not sure how it happened but it was Spree day. That’s all I really remembered. That and it was the middle of the day. She probably came over to my dorm room for drinks.
• She came over after Orientation junior year and we watched some romantic comedy. We were cuddling as the credits rolled and we met each other face to face and it just happened. Afterwards, I walked her over to the campus center and said goodnight. She then made out with the building manager who was closing up the building.
• A game of spin the bottle in Mara Village resulted in progressive making out with three girls. When there’s a crowd watching you really can’t really have that awkward moment.
• Technically not a first kiss but it was the first one that really counted. After a bottle of Malibu while watching Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, we found ourselves facing each other and again, it just happened. Not much of a moment when alcohol is involved.
• I was already the life of the party after I took off my clothes and gave someone a lap dance. Fueled by some liquid confidence I spotted her across the room and I swore she looked at me and I looked at her. I walked right up to her in the middle of the room and we just went at it. The crowd roars for a second time.
• At a convention in Minnesota we go back to her room but her roommate is already back and snoring. We duck into her bathroom and after I close the door she walks up to me and pins me against it. That night turns me into a hero of the trip.
• I can’t remember this particular one rather well- it’s kinda sad because I thought she was kinda special. I think it was in her room in Mara Village. There’s been some tensions brewing up for awhile and after resisting my advances she just stares at me and darts in for a quick peck that leads into a whole lot more.
• It was her birthday and we walk back to her dorm. We shared her undersized bed together and we kiss under the moonlight shining through her window. It was a nice night but the only one we’d share together.
• After a night out we got back up to her apartment and we sit on the couch and chat. The awkward moment springs about and I recall saying an incredibly cheesy line before I go on for the kiss. We then run up to the roof so we can lock lips in front of the DC cityscape.
• I brought her home after a baseball game and we sit in my car next to her apartment, I try not to take too much of an awkward silence and just lean in at the appropriate time.
• I took her to a DMB concert and it was a kiss that came after years of anticipation. Unfortunately a big pre-game catches up with me and I’m done for the rest of the show.
• It was Caron Butler’s birthday and we celebrated in style. It either happened on the dance floor or in the cab on the way back to my place.
• After a baseball game and drinks in Clarendon I get called out for walking her in the direction of my place. It doesn’t matter however as we made out after I put my arms around her as we sit on the couch.
• We went out for drinks and I took her for a walk that ended at Lafayette Park. We sit on a bench admiring the White House and the stars and we hold hands. I turned my head and she turned hers, we look into each others eyes and I lean in.
• She invited me over and we have some drinks in her parents basement.
• I was on a mission and I spotted her across the room. I get her a drink and we danced the night away, the first kiss was a public statement in the middle of an entire room.
• After a night out we go up to her apartment. The awkward moment comes but I talk my way out of it, even explaining it before I go in for the kiss.
• Update: Because I might as well have a living document of all my hook-ups: this past spring there was the time there wasn’t an awkward silence at all. In fact it was one of the most passionate moments I’ve ever had.
• I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often but this past summer I had the “get drunk and dance with a girl equally drunk that making out isn’t a surprise but expected” moment.
• I also had the, “we’ve been friends for awhile but all of a sudden things are different” moment. I get called out but I make this amazingly smooth move.
• It was a cold winter night and we managed to watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother but didn’t make it through the movie we picked out after.

So I want to hear about your first kiss- has anybody else had that moment?

Tags: blog, favorites, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Ok so I’m getting comfortable with the idea of “untitled mass dating experiment” this summer. I’m leaning towards a a little mini experiment/ social life jump start. I was originally thinking about doing it around August but I just realized that is when I’ll be starting my next theatre gig over at Kensington Arts- so this maybe a summer adventure after all.

So after looking at my calendar I am going to pick a date (sounds like I’m getting married):

July 12, 2009 - July 26th, 2009

14 Dates in 14 Days!

I will attempt to lineup and successfully go on 14 dates in the span of two weeks this summer. I hope to work my friends, co-workers, bloggers, for some willing contestants dates and maybe I’ll even try a few crazy blind dates as well.

I am intending to write all about it on my blog and if I am lucky after that many dates somebody will be willing to go out with me for a second time after all is said and done.

Now to there are three things I need to do in order to pull this off:

1. Think of a bunch of date ideas

2. Figure out where I’m going to find 14 women to date

3. Put the above two together for a summer of craziness

So let’s look at item one, I’ve been thinking a lot about creative date ideas and there’s a few articles that have thrown out a lot of different ideas:

• To Blog or… has a great list of 12 Great DC Date Ideas. I particularly liked the idea of attending an Embassy Event, it sounds so sophisticated.
• It’s rather challenging to attempt to drop a lot of money on a lot of dates during these recession times so I find the Washington Post’s Social Life Stimulus Plan very helpful.
• The Washingtonian also published their own dating idea article around the same time- must of been a trend.
• I’m not suave enough to score a smooch on the first date but I had to note the best make-out spots in Washington. It could be helpful later.
• My favorite magazine, Men’s Health always has great articles on date ideas. Some are outdoorsey, and others encourage celebrating obscure holidays or just getting naked. The dating article I liked the most was their recent First Date bootcamp.

Alright now I got my brain flowing- any other date ideas out there? May I should just cut to the chase and make up a recession dating coupon like Foxymoron.

Tags: blog, girls

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

The Age Of The Nice Guy: Let’s Do It.

When I first saw the title of Lilu’s latest post I knew I had to read it. For the longest time I considered myself a nice guy, and I never knew if that was bad or good. I’m totally in support of her plead to the women of the world to really consider that nice guy that you may look over- and I could only hope that her words change the minds of some of the women I meet.

However the post also got me thinking about a lot of gripes I have about dating, women, and probably myself.

What I’ve Learning About Dating (aka Why I’ll Never Get A Date Again)

1. Trying to talk to girls at a bar sucks: Why do guys even try? You walk into a bar with your buddies and you got drinks, music, and if you are lucky, beautiful girls. Never can a place be a source of so much fun and so much rejection at the same time. Here’s the thing: the action of talking to any girl you don’t know in a bar is daunting because it’s very blatant action. If a guy walks up to a girl to talk to her- it’s 99.9% that he’s hitting on you. And that’s fine if the girl is into meeting people and interested in talking. But who can tell the difference between the girl that wants to talk to guys and the girl that wants to stick with their pack and in Dane Cook’s words, “just dance.” Guys put a lot on the line when they walk up to the girl, and it’s very easy for the girl to reject it and send him home crashing. If I know one thing I’ll never meet a girl in a bar (besides Carrie but that was a different story.)
2. I don’t know if I could ever date a Blogger: As a blogger myself, I wonder what it would be like for two people that openly wrote on the Internet to date. Would they by spying on each other’s thoughts on their blog? How more/less stalkerish is it compared the usual Facebook stalking? Not really a grip but an interesting question that would bring up a lot of issues I’m sure.
3. I don’t have the right look/personality/height: I’ve gone back and forth on this constantly. I don’t care what studies, survey, or polls say; it’s much easier to get in the door if you look good. Sure a personality may keep a girl longer but I often wonder what is it about how I look that’s not right. Sure I’m not 6′ and I don’t have a six-pack that’s not found in the fridge, but I think I’m damn funny sometimes but being funny doesn’t always convey across a bar while looking fantastic does. If a girl sees you across the room and thinks you look funny- that’s not a good thing. Unlike my next item I’ve tried to gain some sort of control over this so I can say I’ve tried my best under looks- but who knows if it’s enough?
4. The X-Factor: Sometimes things happen beyond your exact control that ruins a date, relationship, life. You gotta realize it’s nothing you can control and move on. Did a emergency with a friend ruin that first date? Maybe it was raining when you went out on that picnic. Sometimes you have to deal with what you’re dealt.
5. Sometimes Women Play The Race Card: Hey this one goes both ways- so I know I can’t complain but I’ll put it out there. I’ve seen this with a lot of the Internet dating that goes on that we get picky when it comes to race. Those that know me know that while I am not totally against dating other Asians- it’s a simply that I’m not attracted to most Asians- it’s a product of growing up in the whitest state ever. You’ll actually see that a lot that other Asians often don’t date within their race. I’m all for it. However it sucks when I see that cute girl actually pictures their ideal mate as average Joe white guy. I feel that I get rejected before I even get a chance. Does it make me wish I was white- I’ll have to let PostSecret answer that one.
6. I don’t know if I should be happy my friends aren’t setting me up: Do my friends think I’m happy single or capable of meeting someone- or that it wouldn’t be a good idea that I date any of their friends?
7. Does Internet dating make me look desperate?: I think I can answer this one no based on recent conversations.
8. How many bridges am I willing to burn?: You know what I’m talking about, you are friends with someone you’d like to be more than friends with- but you don’t want to risk it all by letting them know how you feel. It’s not that I have anyone like that right now, but how about the new people you meet? Do you try and be friends with them first or otherwise? I wonder if I could still be friends with someone that knew I was hitting on them and got rejected.
9. I Hate Games: Do you know why I love my friend Rebecca? Because she’s one of the most straight forward people I’ve met. I’d love to take her straight-forwardness and bring it to my dating life. I feel that I’m rather straight forward, now if only women could be…
10. Never Just Do Movie & Dinner: I actually enjoy trying to come up with some sort of date that’s not typical and boring, maybe it’s just rearranging the order of the activities or putting some other spin on it, I think the dating process should be exciting and fun- not a cliche activity.

Ok that list is kind of a downer so I need to draw up this one…

Why You Should Totally Date Me (aka Why I Still Have Hope I’ll Get A Date)

To avoid gross inaccuracies about me I asked 11 girls that know me to suggest a reason:

1. Melanie: you’re kind of a geek if you don’t mind my saying so. (this is a good thing.) I have always found “geeks” to be incredibly genuine.
2. Rachel: Well you’re considerate. You walked me home, which is big points in my book. Of course you could have just trying to get lucky, but..
3. Shannon: You are a sweet, caring, generous person. You knows how to make someone laugh, has killer dance moves, and will always hold the door for a lady. If you ever need DMB tickets he is the one to go too.
4. Katie: You can take girls on fun dates: Wizards Games, Nationals Games… not the same old dinner and a movie.
5. Stephanie: Reason number one: your license plate. But you also make people around feel comfortable no matter where you are or what you are doing, you make it a point to have fun and make sure those around you have fun.
6. Emily: He’s awesome and always fun to hang out with.
7. Carrie: You’re an exceptionally friendly and outgoing person. You have a dorky side but that’s something I think is fun about you. You’re a great writer and throw yourself into the things you like to do.
8. Diana: You make a lot of money and have a big donger? That’s what most chicks go for. Well, you’re also smart and motivated and fun to be around so chicks dig that too.
9. Laura M.: You like watching obscure movies on Netflix, you like going on late night drives,and  you make secret suprise birthday cookies. (Note: I cannot bake so please do not always expect Surprise Birthday cookies)
10. Laura B.: I would date you because you give great hugs and knows how to treat a lady right.

So there you go- ten answers that should be sure to inflate my ego- but maybe there’s hope for me. I asked one more person for her answer:

Nicole: I think looks are important and you are lying if you say they don’t matter. So obviously I think you are a good looking guy, and once I got to know you a little better you became even more attractive to me. I’m honestly shocked that you don’t have a girlfriend, you are a great catch. Lucky for me! P.S. One week til I see you!

Tags: blog, favorites, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

photo courtesy of Flickr chris fritz

“Things are gonna be really busy for me in the next couple of weeks.”

A girl told me this a couple weeks ago, and like that I got filed into a tidy box marked, “rejected.” Maybe if I was lucky she’ll put the box in a closet and move it to the left.

Sometimes a girl will tell you straight up that you have no chance with her. Other times they put up the busy excuse: out of town, work getting out of control, friends in town, etc.

The idea is her life has gotten so busy that she doesn’t have time to date anyone.

Sounds normal right? People get busy. It’s not like she’s saying she doesn’t want to not see you, she just can’t do it now. You are left with hope that there’s always the next week, the next weekend, then she’ll be free.

That’s not the case guys. She just can’t tell you the truth: she’s too nice to tell you she doesn’t want to date you.

It’s a theory that I would like to call the, “Washing My Hair” theory. It borrows from the old joke that a girl has to take a shower all night long- and thus cannot go out with you.

So the theory works like this: if a girl is really attracted to you beyond the first date she’ll make you a priority.

I’m not saying that women aren’t really busy, but that her interest level in you doesn’t trump other events in her life. I feel that if a girl is really into you she will always find time for even a cup of coffee or a drink.

Katie:  on the second date with [current boyfriend], i had a horrible, horrible day.
i thought about canceling.
but thought better of it because i liked him so much.

Now there are somethings in life that do get in the way- but if a girl is really interested in you she’s not going to let you go without knowing she’s going to see you again. Maybe she’ll recommend a better time and you make a date then.

I guess what makes me so frustrated is that I want to know what’s really going on. There’s a false sense of hope when a girl is really busy- a sense that maybe you’ll get that second date in.

But alas I’ve now learned that if a girl is busy- she’s too busy for you- if a different guy walks in she may be all of a sudden less busy.

Am I right ladies?

Tags: blog, favorites, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

So my friend Katie has started sending me Craigslist ads for me to read and I’m thoroughly enjoying what she’s sending me.

Probably a reason people don’t do Craigslist is the challenge: The challenge to write an ad and the challenge to respond to one.

After reading numerous ads she’s sent me I’ve already made the following assumptions about CL ads :

1. There is no such thing as a creative tagline. “Looking for a funny man”; “Sleepless in Woodbridge”; or just fill in your favorite movie line or song lyrics. It’s hard to get a guy’s attention these days when we can’t see your face with leads me to the next point…
2. Women on Craigslist will judge you like a piece of meat. Some ads have photos some do not. But most will always request that you send them one of your own. “I posted a photo so I want to see yours,” or “If you send a photo of you I PROMISE to send you a photo of me…” You know you aren’t getting a photo back or even an e-mail unless you are smoking hot in that photo. You could write the wittiest, most amazing piece of writing for a reply- she’s going to want a photo because in this world, it’s all about how you look.
3. Everybody is interested in everything, and everybody does the same things on the weekend. Look I get it- you love The Office, Listening to Music, and on the weekends you go out with your friends. You know what that makes you? A normal person. Which is good because you could meet some whack jobs on Craigslist. But does that make you interesting? Maybe. I need to see more unique interests.
4. Everybody is a hypocrite. I’m loud but I’m quiet. I like to go out but I also like to stay inside. I like to go to the club but I also like to go to a fancy restaurant.  I’m spontaneous but I also like to plan. I like the outdoors but I also like museums.  Everybody wants to show depth but in doing so you fail to really describe yourself to me.
5. Nobody likes drama. “No games, no drama.” Fantastic! Because I was reading through so many ads for boys that are dramatic that I thought I had to take acting lessons in order to nab a girl.
6. The perfect guy = funny.  Everybody wants a funy, interested, down to earth, smart, handsome, romantic, nice guy. Now when we find the perfect man have him give me a call- I want to tell him about a CL ad just for him…
7. Curvy has a wide interpretation. Curvy is one of those adjectives that get thrown around so much that I don’t even know what to think anymore when I hear that someone is “curvy.” Are you like Beyonce curvy or Kirstie Alley curvy?
8. Every woman is about to try Craigslist for the first or last time. If you are on Craigslist you fall into either the “omg this if my first time- I don’t normally do this” crowd or the “I’ve tried this before and I’m going to give it one last shot before I give it up forever.” I don’t know what to think about Craigslist with a range of reviews like that.
9. Women aren’t into one night stands. Whoa that was a surprise, because I can’t keep those random hookups off of me. It’s kinda sad though because they probably list that in their ad because there way too many guys that think Craigslist is a great way to find one night stands…
10. 99% of all Craigslist ads are spambots. Think you found the girl of your dreams? She has a pretty face and she’s looking for someone to pleasure her tonight? Congrats! Send her a replay and get ready for all the spam you get in return.

Tags: blog, craigslist, girls, rants

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It looks like I’m not the only one thinking about love during these economic times. A recent Nightline piece highlights the rise of internet dating during the recession:

Maybe I should try it out.

Tags: blog, girls, nightline

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

Three days ago:

Katie: would you go out with someone you met on craigslist?

Me: haha, maybe.

Katie: hmmmm. good to know.

Me: haha are you hunting?

Katie: i was thinking about it. i’m bored.

Me: Katie will you be my agent in romance?

Katie: I’ll find you a girlfriend and me a dog.

Me: Katie you are my official romance campaign manager.

Katie: really?! i’d be good at it too

15 minutes later I get an e-mail with a list of craigslist ads I need to respond to.

After my previous musings on dating I got a lot of feedback and I am thinking about going through with a mass dating social experiment at the end of the summer- probably not 31 in 31- maybe 14 in 14, or 12 in 14 but definitely something intense. Would you read about a crazy dating social experiment?

For now I’m going to let Katie send me CL ads and maybe I’ll have a crazy story for you later.

Tags: blog, girls

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I first heard of the idea back in high school.

Ms. Gabriel, an English teacher and co-advisor to the CHS Theatre Guild would mention how she booked 3,4,5 straight days of dates. She’d boasted of having an afternoon date followed by an evening date. She reasoned the mass dating was just a way for her to jump back in the dating scene when she felt the urge to get back out there.

Flash forward to this week and I was talking to my friend Katie:

Me: I need to meet someone.

Katie: i agree

Me: HAHAHA Why? Do you agree?

Katie: cuz everyone needs to meet someone, that and i think you’re ready

Me: thanks Katie, that’s very kind to hear that

Katie: well it’s the truth, how are you going to meet someone? what are ya doing to get out there
and meet people?

Me: that’s the big question,I haven’t done anything blatant

Katie: well do you want to do something blatant?

We left the conversation at that and I thought about that question as I went to the gym with Adam. I wonder what she meant by that, pimping myself online? speed dating? crazy blind date? I’ve always secretly felt awkward about meeting people online but I do it and I realized that it really is less of a stigma in today’s high tech world. Getting over that hurdle recently made me think about this crazy idea.

I pitched Adam the idea of my own mass dating experience- but to the extreme. What if I just went on a binge of dates? How interesting would it be if I did something like 31 Dates in 31 Days? If I just went crazy for a month this summer and wrote about it. I think it would be great fodder and I’ll probably end up with some crazy stories (like I don’t have enough.) I think it’d be fun to try and ask my friends and my readers to help me line up a bunch of dates, it’d kinda be like the Bachelor except nobody is really fighting on me (like anybody would.)

I’m talking to Katie right now about it and she thinks it’s taxing and expensive- which is the first thing Adam told me at the gym. What do you think? Cost issue aside should I pull off a crazy dating stunt?

Tags: blog, girls, high school, theatre

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

This week’s recap is brought to you byTMI Thursday, a blog meme column by Live It, Love It.

I had ambitious plans this past Saturday. I wanted to run some errands around town and I had to get my geek on and prepare for my upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.

Well Friday night I get several e-mails, text messages, facebook notes, smoke signals, etc. about a “Kegs & Eggs” gathering at my friend’s house down the street. I wasn’t planning on drinking a lot of beer but I did want some eggs. So I replied to his text to show up the next day at 9 AM.

I arrived the next day around 10 AM and the scene was really chill: no eggs, no people. At first I suspected that it was going to be a quiet morning. I was wrong.

The door flew open and one of housemates came walking in with his girlfriend and a crowd of people. Next thing I know there’s bacon on the grill, games of beer pong were going in the front yard, and everyone is having a great time. I played a game of beer pong but it wasn’t til a group game of Kings erupted that my goals of productivity flew out the window. Then she came along.

She was tall and blonde, not the type I usually find myself with. As people went inside to enjoy some eggs and warmth she challenged me to a game of 1 on 1 beer pong. Next thing I know we are sitting on the porch and we somehow start talking about Internet videos- and she brings up 2 Girls 1 Cup.

“Wait, you’ve never seen 2 Girls 1 cup!?! You need to see it right now!”

That’s when I knew things were getting interesting.

She took my hand and dragged me back inside in search of a computer. The one downstairs had the blue screen of death and I began to explain how I really didn’t need to see the infamous video. I was feeling a little buzzed and I was trying not to kill that. She didn’t take no for an answer. She took me upstairs and like any teen movie you’ve seen- you know that when you go upstairs, something is going to happen.

Turns out a lot of things were already happening.

We ran into my friend upstairs who was excited to point out that another roommate was hooking up with another girl at the party. It explained the crowd around said roommate’s door. I found the booty paparazzi a little bit immature & random but so was the event that was about to happen.

We go into an empty bedroom and she tries to turn on the computer, maybe she really does want to show me porn.

When the computer boots up to a password protected login prompt I quipped that it looks like I won’t be seeing 2 Girls anytime soon.

That’s when she reaches over me and closes the door.

She steps towards me and as she put her arms around me I knew what came next.

In the words of Penelope Trunk, “it is a very good kiss, slow and soft, and a little bit wet.”

Time slowed down in that 15 second span, then it sped back up and things got a little hazy- which often happens during alcohol fueled endeavors such as this one.

There was a knock on the door.

I hear y friend’s voice- seeing how we both went in and have yet to come out, his curiosity was probably peaked.

I stop him from opening the door and lock it. I don’t need to become the next  victim of the paparazzi crowd outside, but I know my time is limited before full on announcements of hooking up are made.

We embrace and make-out for several more minutes, I fumble with my glasses and questioned my choice in not wearing contacts that morning. Of course I also figured I was only over for breakfast but it was now 1 PM and I’m having a little bit more fun.

She throws herself onto the bed and my head gets the better of me.

I do not want to hook up with her in my friend’s roommate’s bed- it’ll haunt me every time I’m over.

After some rolling around I lean into her ear and told her, “let’s take this somewhere else.”

She looks at me and asks, “well aren’t you coming with me to Shamrock Fest? All of us are.”

In fact this crazy Kegs & Eggs is a pre-game event for Shamrock Fest over at RFK, most of the crowd there were planning on going.

She doesn’t want to but we eventually are forced to cool it off with the hallway crowds getting more and more ansy. I felt like we were playing seven minutes in heaven with the entire party cheering. I start to think how much action was going on with two bedrooms occupied at that very moment.

We walk out of the room and re-join the party, that has moved on into my friend’s room. He looks on as our friends vandalize his facebook account and try to print out Shamrock Fest tickets on his printer. It would explain the weird wall posts from him later that day.

The crowd moves downstairs out of his room and we found ourselves alone in his room. As if a switch was flipped she throws herself onto his bed and propositions me one more time. After suggesting we perhaps not turn this into a traveling make-out show she proceeds downstairs. My friend re-enters his room and does what any friend should do in that situation, he offers me some protection.

Before going downstairs, I had the urge to empty out some of the beer I’ve been drinking. I exit my friend’s room and I go into the neighboring bathroom.

I am standing in front of the toilet admiring my piss when I hear a knock at the door. I turn around and see one of the housemates push the door open. Luckily the bathroom was laid out so I wasn’t facing the door in any obscene way.

As I shouted for the intruder to close the goddamn door I see him leave and push the blonde into the bathroom. He then proceeds to close the door.

After quickly zipping up my pants I ask WTF is going on. Her answer came in the form of another make-out session. (photo courtesy of Flickr user Crissy Teena)

We head back downstairs and I feel as if everyone’s eyes are on us, despite the reality that everyone was occupied with their own debauchery.

As we sit down on the couch her arm reaches around behind me. I take her shoulder and pull her head next to mine. She leans for a kiss but I’m a little hesitant, I’m not a fan of public displays of drunken affection so early in the day.

She was- after a couple of quick smooches so lays herself on the couch, wanting to take things a bit further- right in the middle of the packed living room. A housemate makes the keen observation that he thinks that girl wants me.

This situation needs to get out of this house because we are already getting out of hand.

She continues to convince me to go with her to Shamrock Fest. I don’t have tickets, I had other plans, and I didn’t feel like spending money to sit in the rain. I suggest that perhaps we should just hang out maybe walk back up the street to my place. She thinks it’s a wonderful idea. In fact she’s so eager to leave she waits for me on the porch without any shoes or socks on.

As I try and make an exit I am met by various roommates for their take on the situation:

“Dude you need to hit that man- she totally wants you!”

“Ya man do it- just don’t do it in my room.”

“Ya and don’t do it in my room either- do it in my brother’s room (his brother being the housemate I mentioned earlier- the one who already got some that day.)”

I don’t want to do it in anybody’s room, especially the room that was already used for sex.

Then out comes the line that changes everything.

“She’s a nice girl man, but I think she has a boyfriend or something.”

I walk over to her and offer her a glass of water, and I casually ask if she’s seeing anyone. She tells me no and stands by it after further questioning.

As I walk back to the guys I am met by her friends as the party prepares to leave for Shamrock Fest.

“I think you need to know she has a serious boyfriend.”

Well things are just shaping up great now.

The party quickly takes sides as guys take me into one room and the girls take her upstairs. All of a sudden I feel like I’m in the ring and I’m staring my opponent down. Except there really isn’t one, it’s clear that I should make a clean exit before things get potentially explosive.

Thanks to hours of drinking the advice I’m getting it questionable at best- some say that I should still hit that, others question if there really is a bf, I cannot believe what I’m hearing.

This is where I’d like to say that the answer to this situation was clear the moment I heard she had a boyfriend and lied to me about it. I need to walk away.

I grabbed a friend and former roommate who was enjoying watching all this unfold and told him to get me out of there.

I was met by the girls who wanted to let me know that “I did nothing wrong” and that “you are totally her type- if she didn’t have a boyfriend she would totally hook up with you” I don’t even know what to think of that as I get the hell out of one of the craziest morning parties I’ve been too.

We proceeded to get into my car and he drove us to Costco, to do the errands I originally wanted to get done.

I’m sure I did the right thing but I have to say things got way too dramatic way too fast. What is it about those situations that turns perfectly mature adults into gossiping 15 year olds?

Tags: blog, debauchery, favorites, fun times with friends, girls, holidays, shamrock fest

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

I have never been to a show quite like this one.

I’m talking about the Lil Wayne/I Am Music tour concert I went to last Tuesday at the Verizon Center.

It was a pretty good show, Gym Class Heroes were good as well as T-Pain. While Gym Class Heroes and Lil Wayne were more like a traditional set, T-Pain had this elaborate “circus” theme and sang halves of songs with lots of set-up and stunts. T-Pain even came out during Lil Wayne’s set on a Segway. I guess the rappers are getting more and more technologically advanced.

While Corey, Adam, Meg, and I watched the show from the suite I couldn’t notice how everyone else got all dressed up- even if you were in the nosebleed section you looked pretty good as you danced along.

I celebrated New Years Eve at my place with a party for all of our friends. While some circles already had plans I was happy to see quite a few of my friends drop by. I was rocking a cool paper crown from my office’s holiday party- because I’m king of the castle. Sarah and I decked out the place with a projector to show the ball drop, beer pong played on a door in my basement (tres ghetto), and games of drunken Jenga in the living room. We bought a knock off Jenga set called “Jumbling Towers” and it quickly became the joke was we wrote down our instructions. It’s actually still not complete yet so if anyone has any ideas let me know. Also if anyone wants to hang out at my place I have enough leftover beer and liquor to last us past Inauguration, Super Bowl, and beyond.

New Years Day was a full of cleaning up the house and taking naps. My kind of day.

The weekend was supposed to be dedicated to shopping and editing- I only got so much editing done when Rebecca called me out to come out with her and the crew. I couldn’t turn down an offer like that. We went bowling over at Strike Bethesda then grabbed some drinks at Chadwicks.

I thought I was going to get some work done on Sunday but after some brunch with Carrie I just wasted some time watching The Rock and D3: The Mighty Ducks. Man FiOS and all those channels are deadly.

The rest of this week is jammed packed so at least I know I won’t be wasting time watching any TV.

Tags: bethesda, blog, bowling, debauchery, girls, holidays, lil wayne, tenleytown, verizon center, washington dc

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

It’s a routine that I’ve become more than accustomed to. Reconnecting with friends.

Thanks to an unusually high number of trips back home this year (mostly due to business) I have realized two things:

1. When I come home I intend on seeing all my friends back home
2. I never have time to see all of my friends back home

As much as I try and plan ahead of time, there’s just not enough time in the world for me to see everyone I’d like to see. There are a few friends that I’m extremely close to that I will prioritize but sometimes I’m not even able to see them if the schedules don’t match up. So it goes without saying there will be some friends that will think I’m a deadbeat but the truth of the matter is I try to see as many people as I can. For instance I realized while scheduling time for friends over Christmas that friends I saw over Thanksgiving were not going to make my calendar.

Am I too popular or am I too ambitious with my time home? I’m too much of a geek to be popular so I’ll say I’m over ambitious.

I had lunch last Monday with Patrick at Fishbones, a local seafood place I’ve been tying to try. The broiled selections were pretty good- I have to go back and get the fried platter. Of course at the time I was trying to eat somewhat well- the holidays are bound to kill me with all the terrible eating I’ve been up to. It was great to catch up with Patrick- every time I see him I hear about the latest chapter of his life journey.

Tuesday I shared another meal with an old high school friend, this time it was breakfast with Jimmy. I haven’t really seen him probably since our high school reunion last year. It was good to hear that he was finishing up Paramedic classes and preparing for his next step. Later that night I had the annual dinner with Tessa, Phil, and Jen. We went out to Not Your Average Joes where we all ordered burgers- however mine was extra messy. I also have to say the bread there was really good. After our usual catch up on various issues from dating to jobs we somehow ended up watching Tessa’s birthday video, a DVD that we somehow watch every time we get together.

It appears that I’ve decided to center all my encounters with friends through food. On Christmas Eve I had lunch with OC and we had our regular gossip session and catch-up. Colleen is one of the few friends I never see very often but always enjoy hearing from when I do- we always have stories to exchange and people to talk about. I spent the rest of my Christmas Eve putting up the tree with my siblings.

Christmas itself came and went rather uneventfully. I slept in, took family photos, and opened gifts. For some reason I felt like I had a really bland gift list this year. A lot of the things I wanted were appliances for my new home and replacements for items I’ve lost in the past year. While I got a lot of the things I asked for- not all the items were exactly what I wanted so I still have a lot of exchanging to do. After a family dinner at Life Care Center (where my grandmother is living) the siblings and I went out to see a movie. We settled on Valkyrie- an interesting film to watch on the day Christ was born.

The day after Christmas I had a big night out with Nicole- we met up with some of her friends over at Hennessy’s where we enjoyed a happy hour with Jeff Fraser’s cover duo- Me and Julio. Apparently Nicole and her friends are regulars and got tables right in the front, and received lots of love from the entertainment. I even somehow got pulled in as well and Jeff called me a “ladies man” for being surrounded by so many girls. Of course my new title for the night become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I received a tap on my shoulder and I was confronted with a very good looking teacher who insisted I had to dance with her. Well I couldn’t of said no.

After the happy hour we followed Jeff to his next gig- with a band called Spike The Punch over at the Green Dragon Tavern. What was weird was that a lot of the people I saw at the happy hour also followed… along with the teachers from Walpole.

A long night out and I found myself once again sleep deprived enough for the ride back to DC; however this time I had a buddy. On my way back I stopped in Worcester to pick up Corey who is spending the week sightseeing in DC. Ten hours later we arrived back home but we weren’t resting anytime soon. It was Saturday night and I wanted to show Corey what DC was all about- so I took her to Adams Morgan.

Now I hoped to show her the typical Adams Morgan chaos but I was surprised to see that the neighborhood was amazingly empty. I took her to The Reef which was almost dead compared to the lines that usually build up on a Saturday night. I ran into Texas Pete and he told me he just came from Chinatown where the scene was similar. It looks like all of DC was gone for the holidays. Well with the traffic quieter than usual I took advantage and breezed in and out several places in DC including Ventnor’s and the ever shady Dan’s Cafe. It’s weird that even though I only visit Ventnor’s once every few months- they always know who I am- the guy with the awesome last name. The Vietnamese bartender I knew is gone now but I guess my legacy continues.

Sunday Corey and I went to the Maple Leafs/Capitals game and today we did visited Zoo Lights with Carrie.

Now that we are all caught up I’m going to hit the bed- lots to do before New Years, stay tuned for the Year In Review!

Tags: adams morgan, blog, capitals, chelmsford, favorites, friends, fun times with friends, girls, maple leafs, massachusetts, travel, valkyrie, washington dc, woburn

Originally published at The Definitive Dmbosstone. Please leave any comments there.

452 miles.

That’s how far I live from the family home back in Massachusetts

According to Google Maps it’s about 8 hours.

However in yesterday I spent almost 10 hours on the road. I used to be able to bang out these road trips home like it was the Bull Run (when I visited the site to insert that link I discovered that the footage I shot while doing Bull Run back in 2007 was used in the official videos of the event) but the week leading up to the trip back home was a blur. And as always, I never get enough sleep the night before- I was too busy trying to clean my room while doing laundry and finishing videos.

As always I’m trying to edit some videos before Christmas. I didn’t get it totally finished with my latest project but I hope to wrap it up after the holidays.

Tuesday was my birthday and I didn’t do a whole lot. I did go to a holiday party thrown by Strauss Radio over at Hudson. As always, they know how to throw a lavish affair. I had a nightcap over at Science Club with Clarence from work.

Thursday I hung out with Carrie and she helped me with an annual holiday tradition- getting my gifts wrapped by women who know how to do it. I’m not really good at wrapping gifts. I mean I know how to do it I am just not as good in tying those loose ends and making them look neat. Sounds like a possible analogy for my life. Looking back, a lot of my gifts were actually able to fit an envelope- so I didn’t have to wrap a lot of gifts.

I am really proud of these gifts I made for my co-workers: I filled little gift boxes full of miniature bottles of alcohol and liquor-filled chocolates. I may not be able to bake like my friend Mallory but I do enjoy showing my appreciation for fellow friends and co-workers.
So now I am back in town. The reason I rushed back on Saturday was to catch Emily’s birthday bash over at The Harp. It was funny that I ran into Jeff Frost- of future OBX Season 2 fame. The cover band there was really good and everyone got nice and drunk. I didn’t however, I was the driver. So after a day of driving- I drive some more into Boston and then at 3 AM I am driving some more- except this time I got to drive in the blizzard that has snowbound everyone this weekend. I am not looking forward to digging myself out but it’s experiences like these that remind me of where I came from. Down in DC it never snows.

Since there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground I kept it chill Sunday and watched the Patriots game at home with Dave. It was so satisfying to see us take care of the Cardinals in the snow.

I’m not planning a whole lot for this week- I want to focus on relaxing and seeing old friends since I’m only here for a week, then it’s back to DC for a week of entertaining then New Years.

Tags: birthday, blog, boston, bullrun, fun times with friends, girls, holidays, massachusetts, patriots, travel, washington dc, weather